Make a change: ‘Education boards must work together to improve standards’

The Sir Adamjee Institute celebrated its 11th Foundation Day

KARACHI: It was a happy day for the students of the Sir Adamjee Institute as the institution marked its 11th Foundation Day on Sunday.

First and second year students and teachers gathered on Sunday morning inside the college auditorium to enjoy the day. Students had prepared tableaus and practiced songs to make the day memorable.

Speaking at the event, the college's principle, Najeeb Ajum, spoke about the divide in the education sector and said good education should be made accessible to every student.

He said the country's various education boards and the intermediate board, Karachi must work towards building standards in the intermediate education of the province. "The board officials must sit and chalk out a strategy for the proper assessment of students in examinations," said Ajum. He added that giving passing marks to the students is very common but this practice must end now and teachers must give marks to the students on merit. He said the intermediate board must make the scrutiny process of the answer sheets error free.

He said that students think that filling answer sheets is more important than giving to-the-point answers. "I have advised my students to give the answer to the point in six to eight words," he said, adding that in response, the students say that the board teachers just see the number of sheets filled, rather than the actual information given. He pointed out that this sort of thinking must end. He suggested that the board must implement a system in which questions are published with notes stating the length required for the answer.

He urged the board officials to frame a system which would not distrupt the students who study well, but would also encourage average students to take an interest in education.

Chairperson of the Board of Intermediate Education, Muhammad Akhtar Ghori, who was the chief guest at the event, announced the formation of a model information desk for the students at the reception of the board office. "This desk will be operational very soon," said Ghori.

He accepted the flaws in the intermediate board and said a Zarb-e-Azb is also needed in the education sector. Ghori said he would try his best to remove the technical faults and mismanagement from the intermediate board and would try to make the examination system more transparent and merit-based.

He added that the board was planning to take the attendance of the students seriously and admit cards will only be given to students with 75 per cent attendance.

The intermediate board already issued a letter to all the colleges of Karachi on September 3 and asking them to submit the students' attendance records, according to Ghori.

The chairperson also advised the students to respect their teachers because great nations respect their teachers.

Muhammad Usman, a second year pre-engineering student, presented the Sabri Brother's famous kalam 'Tajdaar-e-Haram', which was well received and liked by the students and teachers. A cake cutting ceremony was also held to mark the day.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st,  2015.